Ready for the blast? (Milwaukee: houses, high school, dangerous)

[vdy1985]

The ARCTIC blast later on this week!

[Aylalou]

It's coming here too! High 1 above or worse !

[EnjoyEP]

Yeah, it sucks beyond belief (if it holds up). It would be one thing if this winter thus far had been somewhat reasonable, but after a 6 or 7 week winter o' doom (that really has felt like 6 or 7 months - especially after last winter), it just sucks.

I shudder at the thoughts of impending gas/heating bills from this week, pray that no pipes freeze / car batteries die, etc., and am already thinking how fun it'll be to be walking Wisconsin Ave. going to/fro my office.

Yeesh.

[Milwaukee Ronnie]

Well, I make the concious decision to ride my bike to work (and to the store, doctor's office, etc) throughout the winter. Thus far the cold hasn't bothered me too much. I routinely ride in single digits with no problem. But ten degrees below zero is another thing entirely. We'll see if it actually gets that cold -- the weather forecasters love to spread doom and gloom about weather events that rarely come to pass as dramatically as they predict. If it does, and if schools and businesses close due to extreme cold, I may just telecommute or take the bus.

The last time, in my memory, that schools closed due to dangerous cold (not snow) was the winter of 1993-1994. Does anyone else remember this? We had two days in a row of double digits below zero. It bottomed out at about 25 degrees below zero! I don't think anyone is predicting anything that dramatic this week.

[EnjoyEP]

Originally Posted by Milwaukee Ronnie

The last time, in my memory, that schools closed due to dangerous cold (not snow) was the winter of 1993-1994. Does anyone else remember this?

I remember that quite well. I was a Junior in high school at the time and it was somewhat fun actually to get some unexpected days off. Considering we made our way to Mayfair mall, friends houses, etc., in all honestly, we probably could've made it to school. Still, I wasn't complaining.

It sounds like the actual temps here during daytime highs will at least subvert zero, although three days (Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday) barely...however, the brutal wind chills sound harrowing.

We'll see. I also remember a brutally cold stretch in the December 1995 timeframe, although I don't think it was as bad as 93-94.

[Milwaukee Ronnie]

Coincidentally, EnjoyEP, I too was a Junior in high school during that epic cold snap in 1994. I was working at my first job, as a grocery bagger/cart pusher at a grocery store on the south side of Milwaukee. The way the bus routes worked out, I had to walk a mile or so to work from the bus stop. About a twenty minute walk. That particular day I wore layer upon layer, two pairs of gloves, three pairs of socks, etc. By the time I got to work, my hands and feet were numb, despite the layers. It was 20 degrees below zero! They had us cart monkeys rotate out in 2 - 3 minute stints to collect carts from the parking lot so we wouldn't get too cold. The whole front of the store was freezing, cashiers were wearing coats and gloves even far away from the doors. Even my adolescent mind could grasp the severity of this cold, and that it was not something to trifle with.

[Fishtacos]

Originally Posted by EnjoyEP

Yeah, it sucks beyond belief (if it holds up). It would be one thing if this winter thus far had been somewhat reasonable, but after a 6 or 7 week winter o' doom (that really has felt like 6 or 7 months - especially after last winter), it just sucks.

I shudder at the thoughts of impending gas/heating bills from this week, pray that no pipes freeze / car batteries die, etc., and am already thinking how fun it'll be to be walking Wisconsin Ave. going to/fro my office.

Yeesh.

Those people in Milwaukee and Chicago who say winters are like anywhere else etc.. usually get pretty quiet around this time.